Guest Post #1: Edge of Yesterday

This article is part of the blog tour for Edge of Yesterday by Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Tarah Scott.
For more information on the tour, such as giveaways and tour schedule, visit the official blog tour page of Edge of Yesterday.

Two of Scottish romance’s most loved authors have joined pens to write a thrilling new time travel series filled with passion, danger, and intrigue. These never-before-published novels will sweep you to Scotland’s Highland Heatheredge, where magic is real, time is relevant, and there is no escape from desire…

Men are disappearing in the Highland crofting village of Heatheredge. The authorities suspect foul play, but without signs of violence—or bodies—they can’t prove a thing.

World champion swordsman Cailean Ross is living the fantasy of a lifetime as the victor of...

Great question. Geographically speaking, Highland Scotland is everything (incl. islands) north of the Highland Boundary fault that stretches from Helensburgh near Glasgow in Scotland’s southwest to Stonehaven (south of Aberdeen) in the northeast. Lowland Scotland is everything below. But what truly divides the regions is so much more than a geographical line…

Culture, history, and character really define the differences. Scotland’s lower half is more heavily populated and much more industrialized, while the Highland region is a place where even today, most people live in small villages. And rather than ‘city jobs’ and industry, crofting and agriculture, tourism, and fishing provide many Highlanders with livelihoods. The Lowlands can, in part, seem crowded (well, for Scotland). By turn, the Highlands can be vast and empty. In some areas you can walk or drive for hours and only see a handful of people.

The Lowlands are deeply entrenched in Scotland’s ancient past and the main seats of power were centered there. Edinburgh, for instance. There are also many abbeys (or ruins thereof), and amazing Iron Age monuments and hillforts. The proximity to England caused centuries of battles and wars as everyone knows. That same nearness also meant that English mores and culture came to be prevalent there, influencing nearly every aspect of life, especially in Edinburgh.

In the Highlands, with the rugged landscape and rougher climate, life was much more harsh, and hard. And so were Highlanders. Fearless and proud, they had their clan system (which worked well until Culloden and the Clearances), and their own colorful style of dress. The Highland region is beautiful and also filled with archeological sites ranging from prehistoric brochs, cairns, standing stones and circles, and so much more. Dialects also divide Scotland – as elsewhere in the world. Highlanders speak with a soft, musical voice loved by many.

Even though there is a definite boundary fault, all of Scotland is amazing. Every inch of ground, each stone, or clump of heather is steeped in history. Legend and lore, ancient customs and magic also abounds, appreciated by all and inspiring many writers and artists. No matter where you go there, Highlands or Lowlands, you will fall under Scotland’s spell.